By John Wall (ringside)
A beautiful Summer night in Atlantic City and a card featuring some promising preliminary events and a duel feature lived up to all expectations. We saw some very exciting up and comers and the evening had its share of upsets as well as a controversial stoppage in the main event.
Given the pre-fight hype for the co- feature the main event could have been a let down Philadelphia’s Mike Jones, 21-0, would have none of that. He clearly dominated the action in his NABO/NABA welterweight title defense against Irving Garcia 17-4-3 of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. Jones snapped Garcia’s head back with his piston like jab for the early rounds. Garcia tiring started leaning in with his head creating a home for Jones’s uppercuts. In the 5th Jones hurt Garcia and then hit him with a low blow the referee Randy Neumann did not see and the latter was counted out.
The pre fight talk was focused on the night; welterweight co-feature showcasing Miami’s Antwone Smith 18-1-1 and Detroit’s Lanardo Tyner 23-3. Tyner, in a salute to his hometown, entered the ring wearing a Kronk Gym tee-shirt along wit red and gold colored trunks. The talk was Smith would use this fight as a stepping stone to a championship bout against the night’s main event’s Mike Jones. Tyner apparently does not read the papers.
Tyner dominated the fight winning every round except the third on my card. The crowed was silent as Smith failed to gain any momentum. By the seventh round Smith’s right eye looked to be swollen shut. Tyner’s combinations and busy hands were too much for Smith has he succumbed to a left to the body at 1:15 of round nine.
Welterweights Ardrick Butler 5-1 of Philadelphia and Manuel Guzman 6-9-2 of Lancaster PA in a Welterweight bout gave us the next upset as well as a highlight reel knockout as Guzman added a second blemish to Butler record with a devastating KO at 2:53 of round 2. Veteran referee Steve Smonger waved the doctors in right away but thankfully Butler was able to leave the ring on his own power.
In a Junior Welterweight match Philadelphia’s Kevin Carmody 10-12-3 stepped in against Ryan Belasco 11-4 of Wilmington DE. Belasco had the best ink we saw all night and won a six round unanimous decision in a fight were both fighters seemed disinterested and did not mount much of an offense.
In an a battle of the New York City Boroughs we had a junior middleweight bout featuring Brooklyn’s Jason Thompson 5-5-1 versus Steven Martinez 4-0 of The Bronx. Martinez stole the first round with a late flurry. In the second, Thompson’s left hand was finding the mark but he was staggered by a right from Martinez and never recovered. Martinez scored a TKO victory at 2:37 of round 2.
Light Heavies were next up. Anthony Caputo 4-0 of Kennett Square PA stepped in against Walter Edwards 1-4 of Winston NC. Caputo with a Marine Corp style hair cut and complexion that looks like he spends all his time at the gym and never at the beach dominated the bout from the start. Edwards survived the first round being saved by the bell as Caputo staggered him as time was running out. The one minute rest between rounds was not enough time for Edwards to recover and Caputo scored a TKO win the second round.
Next up was another welterweight bout featuring Philadelphia’s Kywayne Hill 1-4 verses fan favorite Josh Mercado 4-1 from Cape May . Mercado did not disappoint the large following that made the trip up the Parkway to see him by winning a four round unanimous decision over Hill. I gave Hill round 3 on my card but the rest went Mercado’s way.
In a Junior Lightweight fight Jason “The Machine” Sosa 2-0-1 of Camden dominated Philadelphia’s Bryheim “Pretty Boy” Douglas 3-3-2 from the start. Douglas, sporting pink trunks, left the ring a little less pretty after losing in a unanimous decision.
In the second bout we saw the quickest KO of the night has Miguel Corcino 1-0 of Camden NJ score a first round TKO over Harrisburg, PA’s Epi Cosme Rodriguez 58 seconds into round one in a clash of welterweights.
The evening started with the pro debut of Philadelphia’s Joe Dunn verses, a “too young to be called a journeyman” (but with a record of 2-6-1 what else could you call him) Rafel Jastrzebski in a battle of super middleweight. In the mildest upset of the night Jastrzebski took command of the fight midway through the first round. Mr. Dunn’s only answer to his opponent’s barrage of punches was to hold his gloves like earmuffs and take a beating. He mounted no offense to speak of and can take solace in lasting the four rounds and losing by unanimous decision.
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